Speed governing system



March 31, 1942.

D. S. BENNETCH SPEED GOVERNING SYSTEM Original Filed Jul 6, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR In. a M m Y n E E B m 5 mm M A W.

Match 31, 1942. s, BENNET'CH 2,278,099

' SPEED GOVERNING SYSTEM Original Filed JxilyjG, 1939 v '2 Sheets-Sheet? Patented Mar. 31, 1942 UNITED, STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,278,099 SPE'ED GOVERNING SYSTEM David S. Bennetch, Sheridan, Pa.

Original application July '6, 1939, Serial No. 282,982. Divided and this application May 17, 1940, Serial No. 335,816

19 Claims.

the operator. The prior application further provides for synchronizing the speed of the automobile enginev with the propeller shaft or car speed to facilitate the shifting operation. The synchronizing arrangement utilizes a novel form of speed-responsive governor which forms the basis forthe present application.

The present invention thus relates to a governor for accurately correlating the engine and car speeds, although it is obviously not limited to such use. According to the form of the invention shown for purposes of illustration, a centrifugal governor is driven by the propeller shaft of the automotive vehicle, which governor operates a control member or auxiliary plunger. A main cylinder is provided having a main piston therein connected to the throttle valve of the engine carburetor. The pressure end of the main cylinder is connected through a restricted conduit to a source of constant fluid pressure de' rived from the conventional oil pump ordinarily present in modern automotive internal combustion engines. The auxiliary or control plunger slides in an auxiliary cylinder connecting with the main cylinder at the pressure end thereof, the end of the plunger being tapered and cooperating with the edge of the main piston tov tion of parts hereinafter set forth and claimed.

Although the novel features which are believed to be characteristic of this invention' will be particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto, the invention itself, as to its objects and Fig. l is a side elevation partly diagrammatic illustrating the use of the governor with a conventional automobile;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the representation shown in Fig. 1:

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section through the I governor; and

Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are detailed sections taken on the lines 4-4, 55 and 6-6 of Fig. 3.

In the following description and in the claims, zarious details will be identified by specific names for convenience, but they are intended to be as generic in their application as the art will permit.

Like reference characters denotelike parts in the several figures of the drawings.

In the drawingsaccompanying and forming part of this specification, certain specific disclosure of the invention is made for purposes of explanation, but it will be understood that the".

details may be modified in various respects without departure from the broad aspect of the invention.

well-known internal combustion type, the engine,

driving a car through a conventional mechanical clutch 2, speed change gears in gear box 3 and propeller shaft 4. Mounted upon the engine block l' in the usual manner is an intake manifold 5,

exhaust manifold 6, carburetor and a throttle valve casing 8.

The governor unit for synchronizing engine speed with vehicle speed at certain phases of the gear shifting operation consists generally of a centrifugal governor 20, an oil pressure by-pass valve 2| controlled thereby, and an oil operated, piston cylinder 22 which operates upon the en-' gine throttle to synchronize the engine speed with vehicle speed. The governor 20 is mounted upon a housing 2.3 carried on the rear side. (right in Fig. 2) of the gearbox 3 and is driven by trans-- fer gears 24 from the propeller shaft 4. The governor is directly responsive at all times to the road speed ofthe vehicle.

The cylinder 22 has a piston rod I28 connected through'suitable control transfer mechanism (not shown) to a bell crank lever 16 pivotally;

mounted at 11 on the engine block I. The engine control transfer mechanism is described at length in the parent application, and, inasmuch as it does not relate to the present invention, it is closure I29.

dicated by a link 15 shown in dotted lines. The

long arm of hell crank lever 16 is connected by link 18 to an arm 19 carried on the end of throttle valve shaft 80. A conventional butterfly valve 8] is secured to shaft 60 within the valve casing 8 which forms a lower extension of a downedraft carburetor 1. I

It will be understood that for ordinary operation of the car, the throttle 8| is controlled by the accelerator pedal '(not shown) in the ordinary manner, but, during certain periods in the gear shifting cycle, the control of the throttle is taken away from the operator and put under the regulation of the governor for driving the engine at the proper speed to synchronize certain parts of the transmission and clutch.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 3-6, the centrifugal governor 20 governs engine speed through a hydraulic converter which utilizes a small amount of oil taken from the regular engine lubricating system. A drive shaft H is journalled in the housing'of the governor 20 and has on its inner end the upper gear of the drive gears 24, the lower gear of which is fixed upon the propeller shaft 4. The outer end of shaft IIO projects into a weight chamber III of the governor housing and has mounted thereon the elements of the centrifugal governor. The governor consists of a pair of pivoted arcuate weights H2 carried on; lateral extensions I13 of a sleeve Ill which is secured on the shaft 0 by a pin H5. The pivotal ends of the weights II2 are provided with toes II6 which bear on a wear collar II1 slidably mounted upon the outside of sleevezI I4 and bearing in turn upon the inner ,pression of spring Iil is accomplished by screwing the closure I29 in or out of cylinder 22. Any oil which might leak past piston I21 is led back to the engine crank case through pipe I32 connected to pipe I25.

Pipe I23 is restricted so that only a small, part of the oil from the pressure side of the engine lubricating pump 50 is taken. The oil pressure in cylinder I20 is determined by the oil bled from the cylinder through ports I2I and I22. While pressure in cylinder I20 varies considerably due to the'action of the 'govemor 20 with different car speeds for reasons. explained below more in detail, a comparatively small change in the amount of oil bled is required to obtain this pressure variation, so it may be said that the oil taken by the governor is substantially constant.

,The pipe 281 leads to a safety speed control disclosed in the parent application, but forming no part of the present invention. Since this pipe 281 merely communicates pressure to a speed control cylinder with little or substantially no fluid flow through it, for the purposes of this invention the pipe 281- may-be considered closed. If it is not desired to use the safety speed con trol, the pipe 281 may be removed from cylinder 22 and replaced by a plug.

The amount of bleeding during the shifting operation and, therefore, the oilpressure in cylinder I20 is determined by the relative position of the edge of piston I26 and the inclined lower end of a valve sleeve II8 which is also slidably mounted uponsleeve II4.

The outer end of valve sleeve H8 is formed as a rectangular projection H8 (Fig.- 5) projecting into and forming a part of the oil pressure bypass valve 2I. By-pass valve 2I forms the cover plate'of the weight chamber III and consists of a cylinder I20 having a rectangular port I2I,

wherein the projection H9 reciprocates, and a by-pass port I22 connecting port I2I- with the weight chamber III. Oil under substantially constant pressure is admitted into cylinder I20 through a pipe I23 which'takes'it from the supply created by the conventional oil lubricating' pump (indicated diagrammatically by 50 in Fig. l) mounted in the engine I. Pipe I23 is connected to the engineoil supply at I24 (Fig. 1)

located on the side of the clutch housing 8i. Oil

surface of plunger II8. The relative positions of these parts define what may be termed the critical bleedingpoint, indicated in 'Fig. 3 by I8. During the shifting operation no important impedance is offered by the piston I26 blocking port I2I or by plunger H9 blocking port I22, so that we have substantially the full oil pressure of cyl-. inder I20 on plunger H8 to the right of the bleeding point I8 and substantially zero oil pressure on plunger II! to the left of the bleeding point I8.

which is by-passed through ports HI and I22 7 into chamber III is led back into the engine crank case through pipe I25.

The oil pressure cylinder I20 is provided with a hollow sliding plunger I26 having an enlarged head or'piston I21 which reciprocates in a cylinder 22 formed as an extension of by-pass cylinder I20. Plunger I26 is actuated by the varying oil pressure passing through its hollow center out through ports I26 to the back face of piston I21. A piston rod I28 is fixed in the -piston l21,

'sealing one end of the hollow plunger I26, and

passes out of the cylinder 22 through cylinder A compression spring I 8| is mounted in the ableioil pressure created in cylinders I20 and 22 of the by-pass valve 2I. Adjustment of the com- It is obvious that the size of bleeding point I8 will vary either by movement of piston I26 ,or by movement of plunger H9, or by movement of both together. Although the size of. the bleeding point I8 does not vary greatly, its position varies due to the movement of piston I26.

Fig. 3 shows the position of the governor with the car substantially stationary. The oil'supplied to cylinder I20 by the idling engine moves piston I26 to the left to cause it to clear the edge of port I2I. When the car is speeded up sufllciently for the shifting operation, the plunger II9 moves down in Fig. 3. The critical bleeding point I8 decreases in size sufllciently to raise pressure in cylinder I20. The higher the car speed the smaller the critical bleeding point I8 becomes and the higher the pressure in cylinder I20. Increase of pressure in cylinder I20 movespiston I26 to the left against its compression spring I3I until it builds up an equivalent force in spring I3I. This opens the car throttle and speeds up the engine to correspond to car speed, ihus synchronizing engine and car.

It should be noted thatdownward movement ofplunger H8 is resisted not only by increase. in pressure in cylinder I20, but also by the additional area of plunger I19 exposed to this pressure caused by movement of piston I26 to the left that the cross sectional dimensions of plunger I i I9 are A". Consider the conditions when the plunger H9 is half exposed and also when plunger H9 is wholly exposed to the pressure in cylinder I20. -When the plunger H9 is half exposed, the exposed area equals /;"x A" which equals th of a square inch. 'When the plunger H9 is fully exposed, its exposed area is equal to W'XV which equals th of a squareinch. Since the areaof piston I 26, 12'! remains constant, the ratio of exposed area of plunger H9 to the exposed area of piston I26, I21 changes from th to th, giving the desired relation between the forces exerted on piston I26, I21 and.

What is claimed is: 1. In a governing system, a main cyli'nder having a port in the side wall thereof, an auxiliary cylinder connected to said port, a plunger slidable in said auxiliary cylinder and having an end surface at an'angle to the axis of the main cylinder, a main piston slidable in said main cylinder having an edge cooperating with the end surface of said plunger to form a critical bleeding point, said plunger being so shaped that movement of said main piston, while the plunger remains stationary, changes the size of said bleeding point, a source of substantially constant 'fluid pressure, a restricted passage connecting and hence the throttle must 'be closed so that 'no driving'torque shall be imparted by the engine to the car. If, on the other hand, we are using the engine as a brake, as by going down a hill, the engine speed is too slow and the throttle mustnbe openedso that'no torque shall be imlinear response of the governor to a linear re-- sponse so that the movement imparted to the throttle valve through the link I is substantially directly proportional to car speed.

A further advantage of the hydraulic con- 'verter is the fact that large mechanical force may be obtained by the use of a small governor.

- In actual tests two two-ounce governor weights operated to vary the oil pressure in cylinder I20 from one and one-half to twelve pounds which provided all the force necessary for operating the carburetor throttle and .overcoming the friction in the linkage. A governor with such small'weights obviously has a small operating force at slowspeeds, but by the use of the hydraulic converter, this small operating force can be converted into the relatively large force necessary for operating the throttle.

It will thus be seen that, when the engine speed is under control of the governor mechanism, its speed is always related to the car speed.

It will be understood that the connection between governor and throttle as here illustrated is in direct contrast to the connection ordinarily used when using a governor to maintain the speed of a prime mover constant. With the pres ent connection, increase in speed of the car operates to open the throttle, causing corresponding increase in the speed of the engine, and vice versa. If the governor is used to keep the speed of the prime mover constant, increase in governor speed operates to close the throttle to desaid source and said main cylinder at the pressure side of said critical bleeding point, said main cylinder having an exhaust portv communicating with the exhaust side of said bleeding point, a speed responsive governor connected to move said plunger, said main piston being connected to the controlelement of the device to be governed.

2. In a governing system, a main cylinder having a port in the side wall thereof, an auxiliary cylinder connected to said port, a plunger slidable in said auxiliary cylinder, a main piston slidable in said main cylinder and having a part cooperating with the end surface of said plunger to form a critical bleeding point, a spring opposing movement of said main piston, said plunger being so shaped that movement of said main piston against said spring, while the plunger remains stationary, changes the size of said bleeding point, a source of substantially constant fiuid'pressure, a restricted passage connecting said source and said main cylinder at the pressure side of said critical bleeding point, said main cylinder having an exhaust port communicating with the exhaust side of said bleeding point, aspeed responsive governor connected to move said plunger, said main piston being connected to the control element of the device to be governed.

3. In a governing system, a. main cylinder having a port in the-side wall thereof, an auxiliary cylinder connected to said port, a plunger slidable in said auxiliary cylinder, a main piston slidable in said main cylinder having a part cooperating with the end surface of said plunger to form a critical bleeding point, a spring opposing movement of said main piston, said plunger being so .shaped that movement of said main piston against said spring, while the plunger remains stationary, increases the cross-sectional opening of said bleeding point, a source of substantially crease the speed of the prime mover in accordance with well-known governing action.

While certain novel features of the invention have been disclosed and are pointed out in the annexed claims, it will be understood that various omissions, substitutions and changes may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention.

constant fluid pressure, a restricted passage connecting said source and said main cylinder at the pressure side of said critical bleeding point, said main cylinder having an exhaust port communieating with the exhaust side of said bleeding point, a speed responsive-governor connected to move said plunger inwardly with increase in speed, said main piston being connected to the control elementof the device to be governed.

4. In a governing device, a pressure chamber having a first cylinder and a second cylinder communicating therewith, first and second pistons in .said cylinders respectively. a source of substantially constant fluid pressure, a'restricted passage connecting said source and said pressure chamber, means cooperating with said pistons whereby movement of said first piston causes movement of said second piston and movement of said second pistongraduallychanges the area of said" first piston exposed to the Pressure in said chamber, a speed responsive device connected to said first piston, a device to be governed, and means responsive to pressure in said chamber for,con-.

trolling the position of said last-mentioned device.

5. In an automotive vehicle, an engine havinga carburetor and throttle, a propeller shaft, 9. speed responsive centrifugal governor driven by said propeller shaft, said governor having an actuating element, a converter comprising a main ,cylinder having a main piston, a source of substantially constant fluid pressure connected to .said' cylinder, an auxiliary cylinder having an auxiliary piston connected tosaid actuating eleemor and auxiliary piston to move the latter with change in vehicle speed, the surface of said auxiliary piston being inclined and forming, with a part of said main piston, a critical bleeding point determining the pressure in said main cylinder, whereby change in speed varies said throttle.

9. In a "device of the character described, a

pressure chamber having first and second holders ment, movement of said main piston exposing varying area of said auxiliary piston to the pressure in said main cylinder, linkage between said main piston and said throttle, whereby to govern primemover speed proportionally to propeller v shaft speed.

6. In a device of the class described, a prime mover having a control element, a propeller shaft driven by said prime mover, a speed responsive centrifugal governor driven by saidpropeller shaft, said governor having an actuating element, I

a converter comprising a main cylinder having a main piston, a source of substantially constant fiuid pressure connected to said cylinder, an auxiliary cylinder having an auxiliary piston con nected to said actuating element, movement of said main piston exposing varying area of said auxiliary piston to the pressure in said main 'cylinder, linkage between said main piston and said control element, whereby to govern prime mover speed proportionally to propeller shaft, speed.

7. In an automotive vehicle, an engine having an oil pump, a carburetor and throttle, a propeller shaft, a speed responsive centrifugal governor driven by said propeller shaft, a main cylinder, a conduit having a restricted passage connecting said main cylinder and oil pump, a main piston communicating therewith, first and second pressure responsive elements in said holders respectively, a source of fluid pressure, a passage con-' necting said source and said pressure chamber,

- said pressure chamber.

in said cylinder, a spring opposing the pressure in said cylinder, connections from said. piston to said throttle, said cylinder having a port in its side wall variably uncovered by movement of said main piston, said port forming an, auxiliary cylinder, an auxiliary piston in said auxiliary cylin- 10. In a device of the' character described, a

main cylinder, an auxiliary cylinder intersecting said main cylinder at the side thereof, a piston in said main cylinder, 9. plunger-in said auxiliary cylinder, said piston having a part closely associated with the end face of said plunger, means for supplying said main cylinder with fluid, the leakage between said part and said end face determining the pressure in said main cylinder for operating said piston, the movement of said piston. determining the area of said end face exposed to .the pressure in said main cylinder.

11. In a governing system, a main cylinder having apressure chamber, an auxiliary cylinder intersecting said main cylinder, a plunger slidable in saidauxiliary cylinder, a main piston slidable in saidmain cylinder and having a part cooperating with theend surface of said plunger to form a critical bleeding point for said chamber,

4 a spring opposing movement of said main piston,

der, a second port in the wall of said auxiliary cylinder, means connecting said centrifugal governor and auxiliary piston to move the latter inwardly with increase in speed, the surface of the inner end of said auxiliary piston being inclined and forming, with the edge of said main piston, a critical bleeding point determining the pressure in said main cylinder, whereby increase in vehicle speed tends to decrease the size of said bleeding point, displacing said main piston to open said throttle, the thrdttle-opening movement of said main piston'tending to increase the size of said bleeding point and increasing the area of said auxiliary piston exposed to pressure in said main cylinder.

8. In an automotive vehicle, an engine having 'a carburetor and throttle, a propeller shaft, a

speed responsive centrifugal governor driven by said propeller shaft, a main cylinder, a source of substantially constant fluid supply connected to said main cylinder, a main piston in said main cylinder, a spring opposing the pressure in said cylinder, connections from saidpiston to said throttle, said cylinder having a 'port in its side Wall variably uncovered by movement of said main piston, said port forming an auxiliary cylinder, an auxiliary piston in said auxiliary cylinder, asecond port in the wall of said auxiliary cylinder, means connecting said centrifugal gova source of fluid pressure, a passage connecting said source and said pressure chamber, the area of said end surface expose'd to pressure in said chamberchanging with movement of said main piston against said spring, a speed responsive centrifugal governor connected to move said plunger, and means responsive to pressure in said pressure chamber for connection to the control element of the device to be governed.

12. In a device of the character described, a casing having a main cylinder, an auxiliary cylinder intersecting said main cylinder at the side thereof, a piston in said main cylinder, a plunger in said auxiliary cylinder, said piston having a part closely associated with the end face of said plungerto form a bleeding point, means for supplying said main cylinder with liquid, the leakage between said end part and said end face determining the pressure in said main cylinder for operating said piston, the movement of said piston determining the area of said end face exposed to the pressure in said main cylinder, said casing having an exhaust passagefor liquid delivered by said bleeding point.

13. In a device of the character described, a casing having a main cylinder,- an auxiliary cylinder intersecting said main cylinder at the side thereof, a piston in said main cylinder, at

plunger in, said auxiliarycylinder, said piston having an edge closely associated ,with and movable along theend face of said plunger, said end face and said edge forming a critical bleed- 2,278,099 ing point, means for supplying said main cylinder with liquid, the leakage through said bleeding point determining the pressure in said main cylinder for operating said piston, said edge dividing said end face into two portions, one of which is exposed to the pressure in said main cylinder, the other of which'is open to exhaust, the movement of said piston determining the relative areas of said two portions.

14. In agoverning system, a, main cylinder having a pressure chamber, an auxiliary cylinder intersecting said main cylinder, a plunger slid.- able in said auxiliary cylinder, a main piston slidable in. said main cylinder and having a part cooperating with the end surface of said plunger'to form a critical bleeding point for said chamber, a spring opposing movement of said main piston, a source of substantiallyconstant fluid pres- I sure, a restricted passage connecting said source and said pressure chamber, the area of said end surface exposed to pressure in said chamber in creasing with movement of said main piston against said spring, a speed responsive centrifugal governor connected to move said plunger,

and means responsive to pressure in said pressure chamber for connection to the control'element of the device to be governed.

15. In a governing system, a main cylinder having a pressure chamber, an auxiliary cylinder intersecting said main-cylinder, a plunger slidable in said auxiliary cylinder, a main piston slidable in said main cylinder and having apart cooperating With the end surface of said plunger to form a critical bleeding point for said chamber, a spring-opposing movement of said main piston, a source of fluid pressure, a passage connecting said source and said pressure chamber, the area of said end surface exposed to pressure in said chamber increasing with movement of said main piston against said spring, a speed responsive centrifugal governor connected to move said plunger, and means responsive to pressure in said pressure chamber .for connection to the control element of the device to be governed, whereby to govern the position of said control element substantially directly proportionally to the speedof said governor.

16. In a governing system, a speed responsive centrifugal force governor, a pressure chamber,

an element in said chamber operatedby said governor, means for changing both the fluid pressure in said chamber and the area ofsaid element ex- I posed to said pressure, and means forobtaining governing action in response to said fluid pressure.

17. In a governing system, a speed responsive mechanical centrifugal force governor, a fluid pressure chamber, an element in said chamber operated by said governor, means for'changing the area of said element exposed to pressure in said chamber to vary the force exerted by said pressure on said governor, and means for obtaining governing action in response to said fluid pressure.

18. In a speed governor, a stationary casing having a pressure chamber therein, a source of fluid pressure, a passage between said pressure chamber and said source, a movable in'strumentality closing said pressure chamber and exposed to pressure therein, said instrumentality defining a bleeding point for the fluid, means controlled by speed for applying a first movement in a first direction to said 'instrumentality, the size of said bleeding point being controlled by said first movement and thereby afiecting the pressure in said pressure chamber, said pressure imparting a second movement transverse to said first direction to said instrumentality which changes the size of said bleeding point, said second movement efiecting governing action.

' 19. In a speed governor, a stationary casing having a pressure chamber therein, a source of liquid pressure, a passage between said pressure chamber and said source, a movable instrumentality closing said pressure chamber and exposed to pressure therein; said instrumentality defining a bleeding point for said liquid, means controlledby speed for applying a first movement in a first direction to said instrumentality, said first movement changing the size of said bleeding point and thereby afiecting the pressure in said pressure chamber," said pressure imparting a second movement transverse to said first direction to said instrumentality which changes the size of said bleeding point oppositely to the first change in size, said second movement efiecting gove'ming action.

DAVID S. BENNETCH. 

